Sunday, January 26, 2014

The Maiden Heist (2009) [PG-13] ***

Roger (Christopher Walken), Charles (Morgan Freeman) and George (William H. Macy) are three security guards working at a Boston art museum. Although they've been coworkers for years, they've never really gotten to know one another. However, they each have grown enamored of a different piece of art in the museum's collection, and spending time each day with their beloved art is what gives meaning to their lives. Roger's passion is a poignant French Impressionist painting called The Lonely Maiden, while Charles adores a painting of a young woman done in the classic Dutch/Flemish style, and George is obsessed with the sculpture of a nude male warrior.Unfortunately, the museum has hired a new curator, and he soon unveils his plan to trade virtually all of the museum's collection, including the three beloved art pieces, to a museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, thus robbing the three men of their great secret passions. This crisis brings the men together, and they discover that they are kindred spirits. Charles proposes that they steal the three works of art, and Roger reluctantly agrees. But it is George, a former military man who participated in the Grenada invasion, who organizes the three, develops the plan to steal the three pieces while they are being prepared for the move to Denmark, and puts the plan into action. The three men are hardly criminal masterminds, however, and their bumbling efforts produce mildly amusing results.Written by Michael LeSieur (You, Me and Dupree), and directed by Peter Hewitt, this is an independently-produced, satirical crime caper comedy with slow pacing, minimal suspense, predictable plot points, no memorable dialogue, a banal soundtrack and mediocre production values. However, there is excellent chemistry among the three leads, and a terrific supporting effort by Marcia Gay Harden, as Roger's wife Rose. This is not a crime comedy of the quality of Ocean's Eleven or Bandits, but if you enjoyed Mad Money with Diane Keaton, Katie Holmes and Queen Latifah, you'll feel right at home with The Maiden Heist. Labels: comedy, crime Internet Movie DatabaseRottenTomatoes Averages (critics=NA, viewers=56)